Eiffel Tower Temporarily Closed Over Union Allegation of Female Staff Being Sidelined During Hindu Group’s Visit

Paris: The Eiffel Tower experienced a temporary closure on Monday after staff staged a walkout and protest over allegations that female employees were moved out of sight during a weekend visit by a Hindu religious delegation. The incident has triggered a sharp political backlash across France and forced management to issue an apology.

The controversy stems from a private visit on Saturday by roughly 100 individuals associated with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual movement. The group was in the French capital for events surrounding the inauguration of a major new Hindu temple in the Paris suburbs.

According to trade union representatives, female staff members stationed at the landmark were instructed to abandon their posts and step aside as the delegation passed, allowing male employees to take their places. Diane Davoine, a union representative speaking to Reuters, said the directive left workers feeling "humiliated" and sidelined because of their gender.

As frustration mounted over the weekend, employees convened a general meeting on Monday morning, delaying the monument's usual opening hours and displaying signs at the base citing "operational reasons". The staff's primary objectives were to demand dialogue with company leadership and secure guarantees that female employees would never face similar treatment in the future.

Societe d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the company that operates the global landmark, acknowledged that the delegation had explicitly requested a visit organized to limit "interactions with women". In a statement, SETE admitted that the request "should not have been accepted," conceding that it conflicted with both company values and French republican principles. SETE President Ariel Weil stated that the situation was indefensible and announced that an internal review would be conducted. Union representatives later confirmed that management had apologized to the staff.

The incident quickly escalated into a national political debate, drawing strong condemnation from high-ranking French officials. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire took to social media to call the incident "unacceptable," declaring the employees' anger entirely legitimate and announcing that city authorities would launch a formal investigation.

National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet similarly criticized the event, writing that welcoming international visitors does not mean compromising domestic values. "In France, women are fully present in public life. No one tells them to become invisible," she stated.

Prominent political figures across the spectrum, including far-right leader Marine Le Pen and former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, also voiced outrage, emphasizing that no cultural or religious practice should dictate the professional presence of women.

In response to the growing uproar, the BAPS organization issued a statement addressing the controversy. The group explained that the large delegation's visit had been coordinated in advance with Eiffel Tower teams and scheduled at the start of normal opening hours to minimize disruption to the general public. They maintained that they were unaware of anyone being denied access to the monument.

Following discussions between staff and leadership, normal operations at the Eiffel Tower are expected to resume.